Karmichael Hunt's soft punishment presents tricky situation for Greg Bird and fellow Gold Coast Titans teammates facing charges presents tricky situation for Greg Bird and fellow Gold Coast Titans teammates facing charges
The token sentence handed to Karmichael Hunt in the Southport Magistrate's Court for use of cocaine poses a difficult predicament for those Titans who have signalled their intent to plead not guilty to a similar accusation.
Four of the five Titans facing court are represented by the one lawyer, Campbell MacCallum, who professed the players' innocence early and often when Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission revealed a drug ring was operating in south-east Queensland. It will be difficult for MacCallum to retreat from that position now and encourage his players to plead guilty, despite Hunt walking away with a $2500 fine and no conviction recorded after declaring his guilt.
Cannot plead guilty: Titan's Greg Bird. Photo: Getty Images
Titans utility Jamie Dowling has already had his case adjourned to May 8, with MacCallum's other clients, Greg Bird, Dave Taylor and Kalifi Faifai Loa, expected to ask their matters be held over when appearing in court on Monday.
The problem for Dowling, Taylor and Faifai Loa is the likeable risk-taker Bird who cannot plead guilty to anything. A man who plays his football and plies his life on the edge, the international representative has to fight any charges.
When he was in trouble last December after urinating near a police car after his nuptials ("it put a dampener on our wedding"), he lost the co-captaincy of the Titans, was fined $15,000 and put on notice that any further breach would be viewed as grounds for termination by his club.
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Pat Richards kicks a winning field goal with the final play of the match. Photo: Getty Images
So if Bird pleaded guilty and, like Hunt, is fined $2500 by the Queensland Court, he faces the sack from the Titans.
Hunt may have been fined an additional $30,000 by his club, the Queensland Reds, but Bird risks losing over $1 million in having his Titans contract cancelled.
The Titans' traditional rugby league "one in, all in", where Dowling, Taylor and Loa make the same plea as Bird, will cost this trio if they are ultimately found guilty. They won't get the same soft sentence as Hunt should the court find against them, simply because they wasted the court's time.
However, unlike Bird, none of them are on their final warning with the Titans and may escape Bird's likely fate.
Why all four have chosen to be represented by the same lawyer is known only to them, although rugby league players have long been attracted to discounted fees. And it's not as if there is total unification here because a fifth Titan, Beau Falloon, is represented by another lawyer, Chris Nyst, who also sought an adjournment.
There is little doubt Hunt's charges were squared away with the prosecution before the hearing. Hunt may also have negotiated his Reds punishment prior to going to court. It would appear the ARU didn't put up much resistance.
Some will argue Queensland's CCC dropping the supply charges against Hunt demonstrates what MacCallum has been saying – that the evidence against the players is flimsy. However, we don't know if Hunt gave additional evidence to the CCC in cutting this deal.
We heard very little from his lawyer prior to the court appearance. It's very tough for players to break a team code but, in view of Hunt's soft sentence and the speedy manner in which it was resolved, maybe they have spent the weekend considering their options.
Saturday night's spirited one-point loss to Wests Tigers will inspire the stood-down Titans to want to return to the playing field and help out the troubled club.
Roy Masters
Rugby League Columnist
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